


The Stables of SHIELD

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Angst, Animal Death, Animalistic, Animals, Crack Treated Seriously, Equestrian, F/M, Gen, Horse Racing, Horseback Riding, Horses, How Do I Tag, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, M/M, Multiverse, No Smut, Olympics, One Shot Collection, Original Character(s), Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, a spinoff of my tumblr au, almost everyone is horses, barn au, eventing, horsevengers, hunter/jumping, it gets angsty real fast
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2020-06-24 09:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19721323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: SHIELD Stables was a large place. Over 100 stalls and 40 acres of grazing land, it's a horse's dream. However, the equestrian world can be a dark place.A very dark place.------This is a spinoff of my Horsevengers Tumblr AU, where instead of nothing changing and EVERYONE is a horse, the Avengers are just sport horses doing their jobs.





	1. ANNOUNCEMENT

**Author's Note:**

> Natasha and Clint gossip and graze, meanwhile, Tony returns from surgery.

Hello!

I recently decided that instead of making this a story, this is just going to be a series of One-shots in chronological order from this AU!

Thank you to everyone who has been reading so far :)


	2. Tony returns

Natasha ripped out the grass and chewed loudly. She was a bit frustrated, she slept later than usual. Of course, that meant being woken up for turnout. 

Humans are stupid.

The red roan-paint mare continued to chew, she hovered by the fence, hoping to be the first one being taken back in once turnout was over for the morning. Natasha pinned her ears at a young thoroughbred filly, Phoenix. The black filly was only a yearling, but Natasha did not have the energy nor the patience to deal with her. The filly stayed close and put her head down to graze when Natasha pinned her ears again and advanced on the thoroughbred. Phoenix jumped in surprise and trotted off towards a group of other mares. _Good,_ thought Natasha.

She heard the sound of a different set of hooves approaching, Natasha pinned her ears again, ready to snarl but stopped at the sight of her friend, Clint.

Clint was a tall Hanoverian gelding. Standing at 17 hands, the dappled grey was well known in the dressage world. Natasha nickered and Clint nickered back, approaching. He was smart enough to keep his distance from the Russian-imported mare. She was known to kick if you got to close, "You look tired" Clint commented. He continued to rip at the grass.

"I got woke up for turnout, I couldn't sleep last night." Which was true. There were fireworks and Natasha along with many others weren't used to them. She was checked for colic that morning.

"Welcome to America." Clint snorted and pawed at the grass before bending down and rolling, covering his once spotless grey coat with dirt.

"Lila is gonna be pissed"

"Lila is still sick." Clint sat up and shook out his coat, "At least, I think she is. If I'm lucky I won't be used for lessons today."

"At least you get the experienced riders and not some beginners that rip your teeth out." 

Clint huffed, "I miss Lila though. If anyone is gonna ride me I hope it's Phil. He knows what he's doing." Natasha chuckled. She looked towards the Hanoverian,

"I heard that Tony is coming back today." She said. Clint sprang to attention.

"He's back from Cornell?"

"Yup. That's what the stablehands said, at least."

"Really?"

"They said, and I quote 'That Stark stallion is coming back today, make sure his stall is ready'."

"Well damn, he survived." Natasha huffed. Tony was a smart off-the-track thoroughbred. His bay coat, four socks, and blaze were pretty famous. He was owned by Howard Stark, a businessman. His wife, Maria actually rode Tony. Tony was a hunter, he was retired from the track for a heart condition.

A month ago, Tony had collapsed in his stall. It was diagnosed as his heart condition flaring up, and he went for emergency surgery. Many rumors went around saying that the stallion's heart acted up because he was overworked, which wasn't farfetched. Howard Stark rarely showed up but when he did, he would hand Maria a whip and tell her to "beat the shit out of that horse and we aren't done until he can figure out his strides." The hunter world was strict. 

Tony would be lucky if the Stark's continue to own him. Surgery scars on his chest are bound to cost him points. The hunter world was about how well your horse looks, not if he can make it over the jumps in a timely manner.

As if on cue, a silver trailer pulled up into the gravel road right behind the barn. Both Clint and Natasha perked up, listening to what the humans had to say.

"He freaked out so we had to sedate him to load him up."

"How bad is he looking?"

"There will definitely be scarring, his hunter career is definitely over. They might as well put him down, we can't risk passing off his heart condition to his foals and he is too well known in the hunter world to switch to jumpers without question."

"Poor guy. I'll call Mr. Stark and tell him Tony will be on stall rest for a few weeks." They opened the trailer door and gently guided a clearly drugged Tony off the trailer. Clint almost burst out laughing at how loopy Tony looked, but stopped at the sight of the angry red lines on the stallion's chest. The stitches and bandages were gone, but the scars were settling. Natasha felt sympathy for the older horse.

"Hey man!" Clint called out. Tony flicked an ear and looked lazily at the paddock. He looked exhausted. His muscles were still twitching from the medications wearing off. Natasha offered him a kind look and Tony flicked his ear again. His head was low and he looked dead on his feet.

"Damn," Clint muttered. Natasha huffed in agreement. The humans talked a bit longer before they walked Tony to his stall, the stallion dragging his hooves along the gravel.

* * *

"Howard, what do you want to do with your horse?" Nick Fury asked the businessman. Howard Stark sat across from Nick with his chin in his hands.

"I'm not sure what I can do. I refuse to have him be a jumper, he doesn't look good enough for dressage, and I can't breed 'em. I might just sell him."

"That brings up more questions, Mr. Stark. That horse is not getting any better, it might be best to retire him."

"And have him using up my money and not bringing in any in return? Fury, you should know me by now." Howard sneered. Fury kept his neutral expression, not breaking eye contact with the older man.

"You bought that horse knowing about his heart, I personally think it would be in his best interest if you geld him and have him retire out in the paddocks."

"As he gets older he will need supplements, vet visits. He is no good to show anymore and risking breeding him out and bringing more horses with a shitty heart in this world is stupid. I don't want to risk a bad reputation in the horse world."

"Stark, horses are not machines. You can't just sell him. The horses are his family, his herd. Breaking them up could be detrimental. If you want to sell him so bad we can do so but because he is so important to the rest of the herd he can't leave this barn."

"That's bullshit. When Ironheart was sent to Cornell the horses didn't care. They wouldn't notice if he was gone!"

"For Ironheart's sake, then. Howard, Tony has been at this stable for years. The Appendix colt, Peter, those two are super close. Tony is great with other horses, you can hardly tell he is a stallion sometimes. He and Captain have their differences. Oh, and the Warmblood stallion, Stephen. Tony and Stephen have something going on. Please, Howard. I can find a client that can take Ironheart off your hands, but that stallion is not leaving this barn." Fury stood up from his desk chair, eye focused on the older man in front of him. Howard sighed and stood up, facing Fury.

"Seventy-five grand, no less. I don't care where he goes. I want the money once he is sold." Nick hesitated but sighed. He nodded and the two men grasped the others hand in a firm handshake.


	3. Stephen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen is worried about Tony. Phil works with Clint. Tony loses his shit.

Stephen wasn't exactly _excited_ about turnout. He was laid back, but because he was a stallion, he was to be left alone.

There were multiple small paddocks on the property because of the insane amount of stallions at SHIELD, but that didn't mean Stephen _liked_ being alone. His paddock was right next to the main one that his herd was usually kept. His herd being Tony (who had his own paddock next to Stephen's), Clint, Natasha, Wong, Bruce, and Rhodey.

The Warmblood stallion shook out his coat, his long tail smacking his flank in the process. He huffed and pawed at the ground. The rain left his grass all muddy. He was a bit spoiled, his owner always making sure he was happy. What Stephen didn't like, however, was how rough she was in the bit. His owner was young, 20, and went by the name Allie, but she kept Stephen on a gag bit, a chain _and_ a flash, which was unnecessary. He acted like a gelding, he didn't need all of that around or _in_ his mouth.

The dark bay perked up at the whinny of a mare and nickered at Natasha, who was trotting over with Clint. Both horses stopped at the fence and Stephen trotted over to greet them.

"Your boyfriend is back," Clint said. Stephen huffed,

"Is he?"

"Yeah, he was taken off the trailer a few minutes ago." Stephen cursed. How did he not notice? He was young, 9, he shouldn't be going deaf already.

"What did they say?" Both Clint and Nat looked at each other, "Guys. Is Tony okay?"

"His chest is gonna scar bad. I don't know what Mr. Stark is going to do with him. Fury likes Tony too much to let Howard put him down" Stephen flinched at those words.

"Tony is almost at retirement age. They will probably retire him out to the field." Natasha said. Stephen sighed.

"I'll see him once I get the chance," Stephen said. He looked up, "Clint, Phil is coming with your halter." The dappled Hanoverian turned his head and nickered at the middle-aged man. Phil smiled.

"Hey, Hawk!" Clint nudged Phil's hand in search of a treat, "Not yet bud. Hey Widow, Strange." Each horse nickered respectively at their show names. The humans rarely called them by their barn names, anyway. Phil put a simple leather halter on Clint's head and lead him towards the gate. Natasha looked back at Stephen.

"Fury is not going to let Howard do shit to Tony. He will be fine." Stephen smiled-or attempted to as horse's don't really smile.

"Thanks, Nat."

* * *

Phil clipped Clint into the crossties, grooming the gelding gently, "Lila is still sick, bud. I'm sorry." Clint just shook out his head because of the flies. Phil patted him and got the dressage saddle out of Lila's tack locker, gently putting on the saddle pad, with pad, and the saddle. Clint didn't react, he was pretty bombproof. 

Clint liked Phil. He was gentle. Never too hard with his hands and always giving Clint his neck. He was a kind man.

Tightening the girth was easy, as well as bridling. Phil kept the flash loose enough so Clint could open his mouth if he really needed too, but not too tight so he wouldn't risk cutting his mouth with the bit.

"Let's just do an easy exercise today, Hawkeye."

And they did.

* * *

Tony was pacing. The circles he was walking in his stall was wearing down the floor. Nick Fury stared at the stallion through the stall bars. He clicked his tongue, "it's okay, buddy. I know you're stressed, it's okay." Tony kept pacing, the stallion's chest was healing, but the lines were still very visible. Fury clucked again, "Easy, Tones." Tony whinnied, pawing at the ground and tossing his head in the air.

 _Where is Howard? What is happening to me? Am I gonna die? Where is Nat. Pepper? Stephen. Where is Stephen?_ Tony was prancing in his stall, his breathing getting ragged. The sedative from the morning was wearing off, and he kept thinking about what the stablehands said.

The thoroughbred whinnied louder, hoping to communicate to the one-eyed man in front of him that he _needed_ to see someone. He needed turnout. He needed his herd. Fury grabbed the leadline off the stall door and carefully opened it. He talked quietly and put the leadline around Tony's neck a few inches behind his ears. He rubbed his hands over the scars. As long as Tony took it easy he should be fine outside.

Unfortunately, Tony was well known for having zero self-preservation whatsoever, and Nick was not willing to risk Tony reopening his wounds, "When Stephen is brought back in, I'll make sure you guys get to see each other, okay bud? They will only be out for an hour or so longer."

Tony huffed. Fury took the leadline off his neck and left the stall, closing the door behind him and putting the lead back on the hook.

 _An hour._ Tony put his head down and relaxed, trying to calm his nerves. _I'll be fine._


	4. Allie Can't Ride and Phil is Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So sorry I haven't been active, school and projects got in the way :/

Phil sighed, _God, this is frustrating,_ "Allie, _give,_ you're holding his face and he will go faster and get frustrated. Give with your hands and sit back in the saddle." The college girl didn't change, her hands still high and her butt coming out of the saddle every time Stephen had a stride. Phil had to give credit to the young stallion, he was being incredibly patient. He tossed his head, his mouth foaming (and not in the good- I'm really relaxed way) and his ears pinned,

"Allie, give with your hands, put them down." She dropped her hands but kept her grip on the reins tight. Phil nodded as Stephen put his head down, attempting to get himself in a better frame, "alright, twenty-meter circle down at C, get him wrapped around your inside leg. _Give him rein_." He was about to lose it. Allie was flopping around the saddle like a fish. Phil didn't bat an eye when Stephen reacted to Allie's horrible seat in the circle, bucking and tossing his head before going into a dead stop. Allie breathed heavily- eyes wide. "I don't know why he did that."

Phil suppressed a sigh and walked up to the pair, gently taking the reins from Allie and petting Stephen's head. The stallion huffed, neck muscles twitching from his head being kept so high, "He is way too advanced for you, kid. Stephen is an imported stallion meant for Devon or the Olympics. What you need is an old gelding that can tolerate your riding."

"I'm trying!"

"Kid, I give instructions to improve your riding and you ignore it. I train students that are _at least_ at level 1 dressage, and you aren't there. Stephen isn't a good match for you. Just because you can afford such a nice horse doesn't make you a good rider. You don't even tack him up yourself!" Phil looked at Stephen, his blue eyes tired, "And I thought I told you to switch him to a snaffle and get rid of the chain?"

Allie sighed, almost angry, "Dad doesn't think it's necessary." Phil growled. He turned towards the barn aisle, seeing Maria mucking stalls,

"Maria! Can you bring me Hawk's bridle?" She nodded and went into Lila's tack locker.

Allie glared at Phil, "What are you doing?"

"You are going to dismount and I am going to prove to you that good riding and basic equipment is good for Stephen, you don't need such a hard bit in his mouth." Maria came up and handed Phil the bridle, all black with a jewel-covered browband. Phil quickly replaced the bridles and put the reins over Stephen's head, adjusting the cheek straps to fit the stallion's face better. He left the flash undone, slipping it out of the noseband and putting it in his vest pocket. He looked to Allie, "dismount." She rolled her eyes but did so, crossing her arms and standing near Maria by the center of the arena. Phil swung himself up, pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the saddle was. He decided to leave his feet out of the stirrups, as they were too short for him and didn't want to mess the stirrup length up for Allie.

"Now, watch, watch my hands and my seat. Look at Stephen's body language." He nudged the stallion to a walk and quickly picked up a trot, Stephen automatically putting himself in frame. Phil kept the reins loose and relaxed, smiling to himself when he felt Stephen relax as well, head going down and his shoulders losing tension. His stride evened out, becoming a long flowy stride that was meant for him. Phil picked up the reins and nudged Stephen into a canter with ease. He had a big stride and caught air, but it was comfortable and easy to sit. Phil put the stallion in a circle on one end of the arena, bending him around his inside leg. He then crossed the arena, doing a smooth lead change and circling on the other end of the arena.

Phil brought the horse down to a walk and gave him the reins, leading the horse to the two women in the middle. he dismounted and rolled up the stirrups, "Now, I want _you_ , not your grooms, to untack him. Untack and bathe him, he's sweating a lot" He loosened the girth, "Then, I want you to polish your tack. The next time I see you riding him he better have a snaffle and no chains. Got it?" He offered the reins to Allie, who looked wide-eyed.

"I-" Phil glared, "yes sir..." Phil nodded as Allie took Stephen and lead him out of the ring and into the wash stall, he turned to Maria, "You can put his bridle in the wash stall and take Hawk's and put it away. I'll clean it after our ride tomorrow. Thanks." Maria nodded at her friend,

"What are you gonna do? Stephen has so much potential and he isn't getting that with her." Phil frowned.

"I'm not sure. I could talk to her father, but I doubt he would sell Stephen." Maria frowned,

"I could keep an eye out for horses that would fit Allie better?" Phil smiled,

"That would be great, thanks." He paused, "Why were you setting up those stalls? There aren't any horses assigned there yet."

Maria looked at Phil, eyebrow raised, "We have those twin thoroughbreds coming today? I thought Fury told you." Phil's eyes widened,

"Shit, that's today?"

"Yeah. Twin paint thoroughbreds, Wanda and Pietro?" Phil nodded.

Wanda and Pietro were twins, already rare, and painted thoroughbreds- even rarer. Pietro was also known as Quicksilver and almost won the triple crown. He retired at the age of 8 and had his semen frozen for breeding before they gelded him. His sister, Wanda (Aka Scarlet or Scarlet Witch), wasn't good on the track, but she was an amazing barrel racer and her career was built off of that. Both horses were being boarded at SHIELD- most likely permanently. Phil hummed, "Well I should probably get ready to greet their owners." Maria nodded and smirked at her friend before turning to the barn aisle, continuing her job of mucking and getting those two stalls ready for the new arrivals.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Kudos and comments are my lifeline :D


End file.
